Method of treating pipe-balls.



L. W JONES.

METHOD OF TREATING PIPE BALLS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1910.

1,36,685 Patented Aug. 27,1912.

WBTNESSE$ W mvsm'oa, a M m Lima g d ng J LLEWELLYN W. JONES,OF'SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHQI) OF TREATING PIPE-BALLS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LLEWELLYN W. J ONES, a resident of Sewickley, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Methods of Treating Pipe-Balls; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description-thereof.

My invention relates to method of treating pipe-ballsa These pipe-ballsare employed in connection with the manufacture of lapweld tubing andare usually made of cast iron or cast metal. These pipe-balls have to becast in sand molds, and while they may be cast with considerableaccuracy, yet it is very difficult to get them uniformly accurate insize due to slight irregularities or imperfections in the mold, as Wellas the difference in the shrinkage of the metal, which result incorresponding imperfections in the castings and variations andnon-uniformity in size. When once cast it has not been deemed expedientto attempt to remove any imperfections or inaccuracies in size or shapeby process of turning or otherwise removing the skin of the casting, forby the removal of the skin the inner structure of the metal is soexposed that when the ball is used in the welding of the pipe, the pipeis liable to weld or stick to the ball, with the result that the pipe isworthless, and has to be turned into scrap. Furthermore, after use thepipe-balls become covered with scale, slag and other foreign materialand have to be cleaned before using.

The object of my invention is to provide a method of treating thesepipe-balls, after they have been cast, so as to remove anyirregularities or variations in the sur- 1 face without destroying theskin and thereby producing a pipe-ball which has a smooth regularsurface and is uniform in contour, so that the pipe formed therefromwill be accurate in size, and at the same time the life of the pipe'ballis extended.

A further object is to remove the scale or other foreign matter adheringto the balls after they have been used.

To these ends my invention consists, generally stated, in the method oftreating pipe-balls consisting in subjecting the surface of the ball toa percussive action, the blows being administered in quick successionall around the ball so as to remove any irregularities in the shape, orexcrescences.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

Application filed January 6, 1910. Serial No. 536,700.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated a simple form ofapparatus for .carrying out my improved method in Figurelpis a sectionalelevation of such apparatus; Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view of a pipeball in the rough; and Fig. 4 is aview of the pipe-ball after being treated by my improved method.

In the drawing, the numeral 2 designates a suitable frame or castingwhich has the cylindrical bore 3 to receive the hollow shaft 4. The bore3 is arranged at a slight inclination for the purposes hereinafter setforth. A pulley 5 is mounted on the shaft 4, which may be driven by asuitable belt 6. The casting 2 has the cylindrical recess? and arrangedwithin said recess are the rollers 8 whichare supported in the ringbearings 9. The head 10 of the hollow shaft 4 has a groove or mortise 11formed therein to receive the dies 12. These dies 12 havethesemicircular grooves 13, and these combined groove's form an openingto receive the pipe-ball to be treated as hereinafter set forth. Theouter ends of the diesv reference to the dies so that the pipe-balls fedto such chute will slide down the same and enter the dies by the actionof gravity.

In practising my invention with the above apparatus, the pipe-ball 18,in its rough form as taken from the mold, may be heated if desired, andthe -pipe ba ll is fed to the;

chute 17 whence it passes down into the dies 12. Preferably the pipeball is cast slightly larger in diameter than the finished ball so thatwhen subjected to the percussive action, as hereinafter set forth, thediameter of the ball is reduced to the desired size, while at thesame-time the surface is compressed to give a smooth finished surface.The pipe-ball being substantially in the shape of a projectile with aconical end is readily guided into the dies and the exterior or anvilportion of the pipe-ball beyond the conical portion and the part onwhich the pipe is formed, is subjected to the action of the dies. Theshaft 4: is rotated at a high rate of speed and a blow is administeredto the pipe-ball each time it comes in contact with one of the rollers8. As a consequence the blows are administered in quick succession tothe pipe-ball in its passage through fect pipe.

the dies, and all irregularities or excrescences are removed by thishammering action while at the same time the cast skin is preservedand'the surface metal compacted so that the inner structure of thecasting is not exposed, and a hard, smooth, compact surface is given tothe ball and the ball is 'trued'up to accurate size and dimensions.

By casting the pipe ball a little larger and t-ruing it down by thishammering operation, said ball is given the desired size while at thesame time'the correct cylindrical form is given to the anvil portion ofthe ball which is most essential to make a per- After the balls havebeen used they may be again introduced into the machine and thepercussive action will act to remove the scale, slag and other foreignmatter adhering to the surface.

It has been found desirable in some cases to coat the pipe-balls beforeusing with.

plumbago, graphite, or like substance in order to fill up anydepressionsor cavities in the surface of the ball as well as to act as a lubricant.By my method I coat the balls with such g'raphite or other suitablematerialof a refractory character before passing it through the machineand the perpipe-balls,

cussive action acts to hammer or force the graphite into any suchdepressions or cavities. This gives a coating which prevents the weldingof the pipe to the ball and the spalling of the ball which acts to cutor tear the pipe.

What I claim is:

1. The method of treating cast metal pipe'balls, consisting insubjecting the outer original surface thereof to a percussive action.

2. The method of treating cast metal pipe-balls, consisting insubjecting the outer original surface of the ball to uniform blowsconsisting in coating the original surface of the ball with a refractorymaterial, and

subjecting the ball to percussive action to cause the material to adherethereto.

In testimony whereof; I the said LLEW- ELLYN W. JONES have hereunto setmy hand.

LLEWVELLYN W. JONES. \Vitnesses: ROBERT C. TorrnN, JoHN F. WILL.

